When I was in college, a big night for me and my girls would have included at trip to the OG (Olive Garden). It was about 20 minutes away from us. You know, in the town where the mall was. And, we had all become raving fans of the big bottles of OG wine… naturally a favorite.
I remember one night in particular where we all got dressed up for dinner and went to Olive Garden. We even took pictures on my (possibly purple) 35mm camera to commemorate the event. Back then (and maybe now?) there was always a wait… so, what better way to spend the time then capturing the moment on film.
This is a REAL story… and here we are in all of our 90’s fabulousness…
While we were mostly there for the endless salad and breadsticks, the Chicken con Broccoli used to be my go-to. I mean, chicken and broccoli was healthy right? In my college night out example, I’m sure I believed the big bowl of orecchiette pasta and hefty alfredo sauce was cancelled out by the broccoli. Oh to be young with that metabolism again… I’ll leave the braces behind though.
When I came across this Daily Dose of Pepper recipe for a copycat recipe, I immediately jumped on board.
I made a few changes to the original recipe, most notably substituting the recommended pasta for those beautiful ear-shaped pasta – – orrechiette. I also doubled the broccoli (as I most often do to bulk up my recipes.) With all those modifications, I’ll tell ya… the chicken is the star of this dish. I can’t wait for y’all to try it.
Chicken Con Broccoli
From Daily Dose of Pepper
Serves 3
INGREDIENTS
For the Garlic Herb Crusted Chicken:
12 oz chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 tsp. italian seasoning
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. olive oil
olive oil cooking spray
For the Creamy Pasta and Broccoli:
1/2 tsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz. orrechiette pasta, dry
1/2 cups water
1 cup chicken broth, fat free and low sodium
1/3 cup half and half, fat free
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
salt & pepper, to taste
3-4 cups broccoli, fresh roughly chopped
crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
For the Garlic Herb Crusted Chicken:
1. Add flour, spices, salt, and pepper to a quart-sized zipper bag. Add chicken and shake bag to coat chicken.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tsp. olive oil, add chicken and spray top side of chicken with olive oil cooking spray. Cook chicken for 4-5 minutes until crispy. Flip and continue to cook until cooked through. Remove from skillet to rest.
For the Creamy Pasta and Broccoli:
3. In the same large skillet with the cooked chicken bits add 1/2 tsp. of olive oil and minced garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. When garlic is fragrant, add dry pasta, 1/2 cup water, 1 cups chicken broth, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to boil and the cover with a tight fitting lid. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook on low for about 12 minutes or until pasta is cooked through.
5. When pasta is done cooking, add half and half, parmesan cheese, and broccoli. Stir constantly for 2-3 minutes over medium high heat until sauce has thickened then reduce heat back to low (add 1/8 tsp. flour, if sauce does not thicken well). Put cover back on skillet to cook broccoli for another 1-2 minutes depending on how you like your broccoli cooked.
6. Plate 1 1/4 cup of pasta/broccoli mixture with 4 oz of chicken. Servewarm, topped with red pepper flakes. Enjoy!
Per 1 1/4 cup pasta mixture + 4 oz. chicken:
CAL 430; FAT 9g; SAT FAT 4g; CARBS 48g; PROT 39g; FIB 1g; SUG 2g
WW Points+: 11; WW Freestyle Smart Points: 8